Forever...II
by Karumi
Summary: The second part of Forever... This is a "One Shot" and complete's the story. Enjoy!


Forever… II

Forever… II

by Karumi

Author's note: A second part…why? Why not…after I finished the other it got me thinking, that maybe the story didn't feel complete so…let's just say this is the result of that thinking. This story will make little or no sense if you haven't read the first one. Oh it's still angst just so you know. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: FFIX belongs to Squaresoft. Original characters belong to me, as does this story.

"Grandma! Grandma! Guess what?" Garnet looked up from her paperwork at the sound of Annabelle's voice. 

"Don't you say hi anymore?" Garnet replied returning to the papers on her desk. Annabelle could feel the red oh her cheeks "sorry grandma, it's just that something great happened today." 

"Really?" asked Garnet not the littlest bit amused. "Yeah" said Annabelle "I've got a boyfriend grandma." She announced, excitement all over her voice. Garnet stopped what she was doing; her granddaughter had her full attention now. "But, Annabelle your only twelve." 

"So what? I'll be thirteen in a week" Annabelle said. Garnet's eyes widened at the reply. "So what? Now young lady that's no way to talk to your grandmother, especially if she's the queen." 

Annabelle blushed once more "Gomen grandma, sometimes I forget…sometimes I just wish I wasn't…"

"Wasn't what?" Garnet interrupted. 

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't a princess…" Annabelle looked at the floor. "…the kids at school, they treat me as if I where glass. As if I may break at the slightest touch and…and I hate it." Annabelle breath deeply, she had been wanting to get that out of her chest for months.

Garnet smiled at the young girl before her. "Come here sweetie" Annabelle went to her grandmother's arms and just stay there. "And that's why you're so happy you have a boyfriend right?" Annabelle nodded. "Oh Annabelle, you remind me so much of me when I was your age…I'm so proud of you." Annabelle hugged Garnet tighter. "I love you too, grandma"

"Hey grandma, I just thought of something," said Annabelle pulling away from the hug. "I've got someone, mama has papa…that only leaves you." Garnet smiled turned into a slight frown, Annabelle didn't notice. "Hey grandma…can I ask you a question?" 

"Wha…oh sure honey, go ahead" Annabelle swallowed. "Why you and grandpa don't live together anymore?" Garnet starred at her granddaughter. She wasn't expecting that and it was obvious just by looking at Annabelle that she was blushing due to the question. 

"Because we got divorce" Garnet answered.

"Didn't you love him grandma?" Garnet knew that her granddaughter wouldn't stop until she got all the information…a typical twelve year old."Of course I did, we just get along better when where apart"

"Why?" Garnet thought for a moment. "…let's just say he wasn't the one."

"The one?" Annabelle asked intrigue by the answer. "You know…fairytale stuff, the one…your soul mate" Garnet answered. Annabelle looked at her grandmother's eyes while she listened; there was sadness in those eyes. 

"But that's not fairytale stuff grandma…papa found mama, and I'm sure yours is out there somewhere…you just haven't found him yet." Annabelle finished proud of herself. But then she saw as her grandmother lowered her head to apparently stare at the floor, then she did something that Annabelle had never seen before…the queen started to cry.

"Grandma!" Annabelle rushed to her grandmother's side. "…did I say something wrong?" Garnet just kept crying as if she'd been holding the tears back for a very long time. "I did" Garnet suddenly said between sobs. "You did what grandma?…I don't understand" "I did found him" Garnet reply as Annabelle helped her to seat down, her crying slowing into just small sobs. Annabelle held her grandmother as she calmed down.

"Then where is he?" Annabelle asked. Garnet closed her eyes; more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry grandma, you don't have to answer" "NO" Garnet almost yelled and yet she was more calm than before "I do, I can't keep these pain locked up inside me…what was your question again Annabelle?" Annabelle looked at her grandmother with eyes wiser beyond her young age, she sat down beside her "I asked why isn't he here?" 

Garnet took a deep breath as if recollecting memories deep inside her. "…because God decided to take him away from me" Garnet breath deeply "do you want to hear a story Annabelle? Annabelle sat down beside Garnet and nodded silently. "…it happened when I was seventeen…"

~*~

Annabelle wiped the few tears from her eyes after Garnet finished. She then watched as her grandmother went to the balcony to look at Alexandria. She joined her after a few minutes. "What was the promise?" Annabelle asked. "emmm…you said you both made a promise, what was it?" Garnet stared at the lighted city below her. "That I would be strong, that I would live" 

"…And him?" Garnet smiled to herself. "That he would wait for me…that he would wait for me forever" For a second Annabelle thought of asking Garnet if she believed that he had kept his promise, but in her heart she already knew the answer. 

"Can you make me a promise too grandmamma?" Annabelle asked softly. Garnet drifted her sight from the city to the young teenager at her side. "Anything darling" Annabelle took her grandmother's hand "Just promise me you won't join him anytime soon" Garnet wanted to laugh out of sheer joy, the only thing she could think of do was hug her granddaughter until she protested for air. 

~*~

"I'm sorry your highness, but there's nothing I can do" The doctors words tear through Annabelle's heart like a thousand knives. She looked towards the room where her grandmother laid, her mother and father where with her. "How long doctor?" the doctor looked away, Annabelle knew that look "and be honest with me." The old man before her understood "I don't think she'll see tomorrow's sun" Annabelle sighed, it was worst than she thought. "Thank you doctor" The old man nodded and took his leave. 

Annabelle entered the candle lit room. Her father, the prince, was holding his mother's hand; Annabelle knew that tomorrow he would no longer be a prince. 

Garnet saw as Annabelle approached her bed slowly, she was her splitting image when she was sixteen, for all except that her hair was brown instead of black. "May I please talk alone with Annabelle" Annabelle blinked in surprise at her grandmother's words. Her mother took her arm "I'll be in my room if you need anything sweetie" she said in her ear. Her father kissed his mother's forehead "I love you mama" and walked towards Annabelle giving her a reassuring smile and exiting the room with his wife at his side. 

Garnet was resting in the middle of the large bed. Annabelle sat in the corner of the bed by her grandmother's side, taking her hand as she did so…"Hi grandmamma" 

"Hey baby" Garnet replied, smiling at her. Annabelle held Garnet's hand with both her own "you need anything grandmamma?" 

"No darling, I'm fine" Annabelle forced a smiled to her lips, holding back the urge to cry. 

"I just wanted to give this to you" Garnet lifted her free hand to point at a small box sitting on a nearby table. Annabelle stood up grabbing the small box and bringing it back to her grandmother's side. "What's in here?" She asked, gazing at the royal logo on the small box. "Open it" Garnet said and Annabelle did. A beautiful sound came out of the box; but its contents were more beautiful still. "Grandma…" Annabelle stare at the gorgeous necklace, it was the necklace her grandmother always wore. 

"It's yours now…take good care of it" Annabelle looked at Garnet holding the necklace in her hands. "I will…" Annabelle looked at the necklace once more before putting it around her neck and taking her grandmother's hand once more. Then something else caught her attention "Grandmamma, that music…I've heard it before" 

"I thought you would remember; it was the song I sang to your father and then to you when you where little…it was also the song that he liked…" Annabelle blinked in surprise at the comment, yet she knew who her grandmother was talking about; then she smiled.

"He's waiting for you grandmamma…he's been waiting for a long time…say hi to him for me" Annabelle finished, as she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Garnet only nodded and smiled.

~*~

_I kept my promise Zidane_

_Lying here on this bed with my granddaughter at my side_

_She is the fruit of that promise_

_ _

_I see her tears as she tells me to join you_

_And I know that in the next few minutes I will_

_I close my eyes for what I know will be the last time _

_ _

The light ahead of me its beautiful 

_Yet the place after it its more beautiful still_

_The first thing I see it's the ocean_

_The first thing I notice is that I'm not old anymore_

_ _

_I feel a slight touch on my shoulder_

_And quickly turn around to see your smiling face_

_My first impulse is to rushed to your arms_

_And you receive my embrace with open arms_

_ _

_Tears are falling from my eyes out of sheer happiness_

_Because I am with you know_

_And I will never leave_

_ _

_Now we have eternity _

_Now we have forever_

~END~


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